It's your home

by redheadedpotter346

Tree Hill is just a place somewhere in the world. Maybe it's a lot like your world. Maybe it's nothing like it. But if you look closer, you might see someone like you. (Brucas, Naley) (chapter 32 posted & ready for reading 04/04/2020)

12. Feels like home

Disclaimer: I don't own nothing but the storylines, all rats go to their rightful owners.

Trigger: if you have made it this far then nothing in this chapter is going to be at trigger but just in case! Family arguments, talks of teenage sex, violence, and or etc. But, if you made it all nine seasons then nothing in this chapter is going to offend you.

I will give a small warning that this is my longest chapter with the most drama.

Enjoy :)

---

Chantal Kreviazuk: It feels like home

Somethin' in your eyes, makes me wanna lose myself
Makes me wanna lose myself, in your arms
There's somethin' in your voice, makes my heart beat fast
Hope this feeling lasts, the rest of my life

---

Nathan yawned as he stepped out of his car as he slowly—and steadily, after the long tiring day he had at his office, made his way towards the front door to his home. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist, knowing he should have been home more than two hours. The time had already passed ten and the sun had already set as the moon hung high up on in the sky.

The exhausted thirty-four-year-old reached out and spun the doorknob before pushing the door open, and stepped over the threshold into his home. It took a lot to surprise Nathan when it came to his family, he had learned to expect the unexpected years ago—probably around the same time he got married in high school, but in this night he was surprised.

Haley sat on the couch with a large folder in her hand—most likely grading papers, but that wasn't what surprised him. Jamie lay—fast asleep, with his head across his mother's lap, his cheeks puffy, and his eyes so red Nathan would have guessed they were swollen shut at first glance until he realized his son was sleeping.

"Hey" Haley whispered looking up at Nathan as she ran her fingers through Jamie's sandy blonde hair.

"Still no word on Madison" Nathan assumed as the sight of his son as he quietly closed the door behind him.

"No," Haley said shaking his head, though she didn't need to confirm his theory. "Brooke is doing everything she can to find her, but so far—legally, there is nothing we can do. We aren't family members, and we have no idea if she has any or where they would be. Jamie said she hasn't been at school either".

"It's Wednesday," Nathan said as he removed his shoes by the door. "They took her Saturday night, you would think we would have heard something by now".

"Brooke has one more trick left up her sleeve that we are going to try tomorrow," Haley told her husband as he disappeared into the kitchen. "Just don't be surprised if you see a large withdrawal out of the bank in the morning".

"Exactly how large"? Nathan asked as he stepped back into the living room holding the plate his wife had fixed him hours previously of the dinner she had cooked for her family, and a beer.

"Don't ask?" Haley said, shaking her head. "But, in a couple of years when Jamie gets his inheritance money from Dan, he is going to owe us a pretty penny".

"Lovely" Nathan said as he sat down in the recliner. "Is he doing any better"?

"Not in the least," Haley said, though she wished her answer were better. "Nathan, I haven't seen him cry since he was a kid—and even then he barely shed a tear, he hasn't spoken to her since Friday at school and I guess she was still mad at him".

"Oh, it was a stupid little high school fight".

"I know that, and so does he but I don't think the two have ever gone more than twenty-four hours speaking," Haley told Nathan as she watched him eat. "He hasn't even seen her in five days, we don't know where she is—I have never seen him like this".

"I know what you mean" Nathan agreed. "I would kill for a smart ass remark to come out of his mouth right about now, normally he would be gloating that he one-upped me and got out of his grounding—and it would last, for weeks. But, he is just like a zombie walking around her, and I don't mean like every other teenager glued to their phone".

"Which he is—he has his phone and her phone at all times," Haley told Nathan. "He told me that she doesn't know he got ungrounded so if she gets a phone she might try to call hers, I don't know. I think this is the first time he has slept since it happened—don't get mad".

"You know, Hales—no good sentence ever starts out like that".

"I told him he didn't have to go to school tomorrow" Haley admitted. "Chuck and Andre talked to me today, they were worried. He hasn't been doing good at practice, which is unlike him—they said he doesn't even talk to them. I noticed him zoning out in class every day".

"It's fine" Nathan assured her. "I'm not mad. I was going to do the same thing. Keith has his surgery in the morning anyway".

"I haven't spoken to Lucas, how is he handling that"?

"Not well" Nathan answered. "In theory is one thing but at ten in the morning they are going to wheel Keith back there—and we don't know if they are going to wheel him back".

"No matter what, I think you and Lucas made the right call about having the surgery," Haley told him. "Keith wouldn't want to spend the rest of his life as a vegetable. I just know he wouldn't, he is a fighter. Always has been".

"I wish I had known him that well" Nathan admitted. "I know Dan saved my life, and I try not to be bitter at him because of that—but he makes it so easy to hate him".

"When we were trying to get pregnant I thought if we had a boy, naming him after Dan" Haley admired. "Not because we have this long great history with your father, but because he died saving your life. Then I thought, does that really make up for the life he took? Your his son, that was his job to protect you—but it was also his job for Lucas, too. So, do all the good he did after he got out of prison to make up for all the bad that led him there"?

"I think if Keith does wake up—its best that Dan is already dead," Nathan said.

"I stopped at the café to cover Madison's shift yesterday, and I saw them removing his headstone," Haley told him. "It was such an odd thing to watch".

"What if he doesn't make it, Hales"? Nathan asked his wife. "We have another funeral for him? We bury him—again"?

"We will have to one day but I refuse to believe that, that day is soon," Haley told him. "Keith is strong. He will pull through. I just know it".

"You should share some of your optimism with, Lucas" Nathan said. "He could really use it, his entire life has become nothing but those crash and burn scenario videos they make you watch on the last day of school when they got nothing left to teach".

It shouldn't have been funny, but Haley giggled.

"Are you going to stop by the hospital tomorrow"? Nathan asked his wife.

"I'm not working tomorrow," Haley told him. "I have a few things I need to do with Brooke and Peyton, but I will be there. The school was pretty understanding as to why I wouldn't be attending tomorrow".

"Clay was too," Nathan said. "I talked to mom earlier, she was finally able to convince Lily to go home and rest for the night. Well, she would only go with Mom so they are at her house—Luke is staying with Keith".

"Lily talking to him—at all"?

"Other than quoting the most savage golden girls comebacks at him—nope".

Nathan sat his empty plate down before drinking the last few sips of his beer and disposed of it as well.

"Lydia, had her first therapy session this morning," Haley told Nathan.

"How did it go"?

"I'm not sure," Haley told him. "The therapist doesn't want to talk about it with me, yet. She wasn't to evaluate her over the course of four weeks before she gives me any information and Lydia hasn't said anything about it either".

"I hope this works, no matter what the problem is," Nathan said. "I just hate that we didn't see what was causing it".

"But, our smart sixteen-year-old did"

Nathan looked up and saw his wife looking down at their sleeping teen, as she continued running her fingers through his hair.

"You know if he was about six years younger I would carry him to his bed," Nathan said. "Strange isn't it? How fast they grow on you".

"You could still carry him to his bed".

"Hales, he is taller than me and weighs more than two hundred pounds—he drinks protein shakes like they are going to stop selling them and don't tell him I said this but the kid bench presses more than I do" Nathan admitted. "I couldn't carry him if I wanted to".

---

Lily opened the door to the bedroom she had slept in, except she didn't exactly sleep. She laid in a bed that once belonged to Nathan, or maybe it never belonged to him but Deb bought a new bed and just kept everything the same in his old room. That seemed more believable than a bed that was older than she was.

It really goes to show how much sleep she didn't get.

As Lily made her way through Deb's house she followed the strong smell of coffee brewing that led her to the kitchen, where she found Nathan's mom cooking—or attempting was a better word for it.

"Damn it, damn it," Deb said she pulled a smoking pan off the stove and ran across the kitchen before throwing it into the sink.

"Smells good in here," Lily said with a small smile.

Deb looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "It's going to be a long day, I wanted you to have a good breakfast".

"Deb".

"Yeah"?

Deb turned around as Lily took a big bite out of a donut she pulled out of the box from the café, then smiled at the blonde in front of her.

"I meant a healthy breakfast," Deb said, as she turned the stove off. "I never was any good at these type of things when Nathan was a teenager, either".

"What type of things"?

"Think of anything a mom does—I'm bad at every one of them," Deb told her. "I wasn't a good mom, I wasn't a good wife—".

"I'm sure that's not true".

"I slept with Nathan's little friend when he was in high school and then I dated his friend—after they graduated but he was still Nathan's friend and eighteen years younger than I was," Deb said. "Oh, I tried to kill my husband and I slept with his brother and—".

"Wait—What"? Lily asked her mouth full of the donut she had been eating. "You slept with my dad"?

"Oh, Lily—I slept with everyone's dad".

Lily looked at her, and shockingly enough had to admire her honesty.

"It's a long story," Deb told her. "One that I'll let your dad tell you if he wants you to know".

"You say that like you know he is going to wake up after this, the doctors said there is no guarantee that this will work—".

"He will wake up".

"I want to believe that—I really do, it just seems too good to be true".

"He is here isn't he"? Deb asked as she sat down next to the teenager. "That alone seems to good to be true, but he is. It's understandable to be a little scared".

"A lot, scared" Lily corrected her. "I just don't want to loose him when I haven't even got him back yet" she said as she dropped her head. "Just a week ago I didn't have a dad, he was dead. I mean—with my mom it's hard, but it's bearable because I have these memories with her. I have these great, wonderful—amazing memories of her. I have a few good pictures of my dad, but that's it".

"By the time this is all over you will have thousands of pictures with your dad".

"I hope so".

---

Peyton turned the Engine off before stepping out of her car in the driveway of Nathan and Haley's house, to see Brooke had also just arrived as the fashion diva shut the door to her SUV. The blonde walked over, joining her best friend.

"Hey," Peyton said as she watched Brooke open the back of her car. "How was the first night in your new house"?

"It went fine," Brooke told her. "I told you bribery works every time—if I hadn't slipped them that extra money I would still be living with you for another six to eight weeks".

"Brooke, it's your house—I told you I could have left".

"Even if you had, it's still only a two-bedroom," Brooke said. "If I am even able to get Madison they are going to want to do a home evaluation, it just made more sense. I hired a decorator and they should be finished by four today—she has worked so hard the past couple days on the house".

"Just relax," Peyton told her. "We will get her back".

"I'm not stressed," Brooke told Peyton as she gathered files out of the back of her car. "If they don't hand her over I will just burn the place down".

"That should do it," Peyton said, rolling her eyes. "Arson. That will really help them allow you to have custody of her".

"These are my files from when I had Sam, and Angie," Brooke told Peyton. "References and everything, Sam even wrote one for me".

"I didn't know you still spoke to Sam," Peyton told Brooke as she shut the back of her friend's car.

"Yeah—She has been married to Jack for six or seven years I believe," Brooke told her as they walked towards Haley's front door. "They got married the second they were both eighteen, she writes and he works for social services. They foster children actually—they adopted one and she said they are going to try and have their own in a few years but they both grew up in the system and want to provide a better home for kids like them".

"Oh, Brooke that's wonderful," Peyton told her. "See? Look, how you turned that girl's life around, how could they deny you for Madison"?

"If they know what's good for them".

Brooke didn't bother knocking on the door instead she pushed it open—but was immediately silenced before she could speak by Haley. The girls in the doorway looked to find Jamie asleep on the couch, covered by a small throw blanket that barely covered his long brawny body.

"Sorry" Brooke mouthed at Haley.

Haley pointed towards the kitchen.

Brooke nodded, as she quietly sat her large stack of folders on the coffee table looking over her shoulder at Peyton who silently shut the door before they each followed Haley.

"I let him skip school today," Haley told them as she got herself a water out of the refrigerator. "I wasn't going, and he really needs the sleep. I think part of it is he knows we will have answers today, and he wants to know the minute we know—which I promised him I would tell him first".

"Of course," Peyton said, nodding. "How is he"?

"Not good," Haley said, honestly. "He doesn't sleep, he doesn't eat—the doctor prescribed him something just to get him to sleep. I argued with him for forty-five minutes just to get him to take it—he begged me not to, he said he didn't want to be asleep if we heard something on Madison she told them. "Jamie has been kidnapped, chased through a cornfield, been in a car accident, lost his role model, bullied, and I could go on and on—but I never can remember a time where he has curled up in my lap and cried himself to sleep. I don't know if he will recover if we don't get her back—he will probably chase her to New Jersey".

"Well, we aren't going to let that happen," Brooke told Haley. "I refuse to accept that. Here are today's plans—Keith is going to make it out of surgery—alive and Madison will be living with me by tonight. Any questions"?

"I do have one" Peyton admitted.

"What's that"?

"When did you become Queen"?

"The day she was born" they all heard and looked to see Jamie slowly walking into the kitchen.

"Exactly," she said, nodding her head. "I'm Brooke Davis".

"Brooke Penelope Davis," Jamie said, his voice hoarse and his face low, as he sat down at the kitchen counter.

Brooke walked behind Jamie squeezing his shoulders lightly "I will get her back, I promise" she said wrapping her arms around him as she rested her chin on his head. "I'll get our girl back".

Jamie sniffled as he bit down on his bottom lip, in an attempt to keep from crying—again. "Please," he said, his voice breaking. "If you see her can you have her call me—I have her phone. I just—I need to hear her voice".

"I'll do more than that".

"Brooke Davis is not to be reckoned with," Peyton told him. "If anyone can do it—she is your girl".

"I hope you're right".

"What do you mean hope"? Brooke asked sitting in the seat next to him. "Have you met me"? She asked before turning to Haley and Peyton. "Has he met me"?

"Apparently not," Haley said, smiling lightly at her son.

"If they don't give us Madison back I will personally deliver them all to hell in a nicely wrapped handbasket," Brooke told Jamie taking his face in her small hand. "Do you hear me"?

Jamie nodded, slowly. Even though he smiled, it didn't look as it had lifted his spirits.

"Do you want me to cook you something to eat"? Haley asked walking to the counter looking down at Jamie. "I could whip something up really quick".

"No," he told her shaking his head. "I think I am just going to shower".

"Jamie—you have to eat".

"I'll order a pizza after while or something," he said shrugging. "I promise".

Before his mom could say anymore Jamie stood up and walked out of the kitchen, his head dropped and his body moving slow.

"We have to fix this" Haley told them.

"We will" Brooke promised her. "Not just for Jamie, but Madison. I don't even know if she knows the full extent of what happened, I was just starting to explain it to her when they showed up. She has spent years saving up just to go visit her parents—she probably feels lost and confused and betrayed, I can't even imagine what she must be feeling".

---

"Andre"?

Lily looked up to see her friend awkwardly standing in the doorway to her father's room. Despite the circumstances, she smiled as she walked over to him and the two stepped out of the room, leaving Deb alone with Keith.

"What are you doing here"? She asked him, still smiling.

"I just wanted to bring you this" Andre said, handing her a large bouquet of flowers. "It's from the basketball team—girls and boys. We all chipped in, it was Maddie's idea—actually".

"Has anyone heard anything on her"? Lily asked as they walked down the hall together.

"No," Andre said. "Chuck and I both texted Jamie this morning but no reply's".

"I hope this doesn't sound selfish—but why didn't Chuck bring these to me"?

"Erm—Chuck doesn't do hospitals or parents or—Chuck is a difficult individual but he does care about you," Andre told her.

"Just not enough to stop by before my previously dead father has a life or death surgery," Lily said looking down at the flowers.

"Oh, it's not like that".

"It is Andre," Lily told him. "I like Chuck—a lot. But, I really wanted him to be here, I even asked him and instead he sent you. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but he is my boyfriend. He should want to be here with me when I asked him he said he didn't want to miss school. He sleeps in every class, he does just enough homework to keep him from failing so he can stay on the basketball team and that's it. I'm having a hard day—and I have no one to sit with. Maddie is gone, Jamie is ten feet deep down the rabbit hole, my boyfriend won't come within fifty feet of the hospital—".

"I'll sit with you," Andre told her. "I can afford to miss a day of school, I brought your homework anyways. We can do that while your dad is in surgery".

"You have an odd way of cheering someone up," Lily told him smiling. "But, thank you. I appreciate it, truly—I'm dreading this".

"It's a big surgery".

"Well, there is that and my brother is going to be here," Lily told him. "I am so, furious at him. I'm not ready to talk to him, I don't know if I will ever be. He lied to me".

"But, he was trying to protect you".

"I know," Lily said. "But, I just keep thinking—this doesn't happen to most people. When someone dies, they die for good I was granted a second chance with my dad. A chance I never thought I could have, even if it's a small one. I have spent every day sitting by him, studying his face—what if he doesn't make it out of surgery? Lucas risked depriving me of the few moments I was granted with him. Honestly, how would you feel if Skills found out your brother was alive but didn't tell you to know that he might actually die in a short time"?

Andre paused.

But, he didn't want to. He looked up to Lucas, he knew how bad he was suffering, and most of all he knew that he was just looking out for his little sister. But, when he looked at it from her point view he understood why she was so angry.

It's not every day that you get a chance with someone you love and lost like she was.

"I'd be pissed," Andre told her honestly. "I get it, I do. However—just think about forgiving him. Okay? My brother was just a little older than us when he died, so I try not to spend to much time being angry at someone. You don't know how much time you have left with them".

---

"Luke" Nathan called as he attempted to catch up with his brother as he walked towards the hospital. "Wait up".

Lucas, who had been unaware that his brother parked only moments after him, came to a halt as he waited for his younger brother to reach him.

Which didn't take as long as it felt.

When Nathan reaches Lucas he laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze "Are you ready for this"? He asked.

"If I say no does it matter"? Lucas asked. "They are about to start prepping him rather I'm ready or not, Nate".

"I know, but it's going to be okay".

"Everyone keeps saying that," Lucas said, as he sat down on the bench. "I want to believe that, I really do. But, I looked up the surgery last night and—".

"Oh, dude" Nathan said shaking his head as he sat next to his brother. "First of all, you know to stay off of google before you come to the hospital for anything. Haley once thought she was having an aneurysm because of the damn internet".

"What ended up being wrong with her"?

"Wine hangover," Nathan said, chuckling. "But, I love my little hypochondriac".

"I'm going to be nauseous".

Nathan lightly laughed, but then looked at Lucas who he saw biting on the nail to his thumb, nervously. Chewing was more like it.

"I just kept thinking if he can just make it through the surgery," Lucas told him "then the rest should be easy, right? Wrong. He is going to wake up with a sixteen-year-old daughter, mom is dead, Dan is dead—who killed him—and his parents are here".

"What"? Nathan asked, confused by the last part of his brother's statement.

Nathan looked up to see his grandparents, their grandparents, walking towards the hospital.

"Mom told me they were in town," Nathan said, his voice low enough only Lucas could hear. "They weren't here when Jamie or Lydia was born when I was kidnapped—or even when Dan died, but this they come to".

"Nathan" May said, smiling.

"Grandma," Nathan said as he and Lucas stood, leaning over hugging her lightly.

"How's the ole' back"? Royal asked, pointing his walking cane towards his grandson.

"Fine".

"You must be Lucas," May said, smiling.

"I must be," he told her, nodding his head.

"Daddy"!

They all turned at Sawyer came running with Mia closely in tow.

"Hey, baby," Lucas said, lifting his daughter up.

"Peyton asked me to drop her off at school but she wanted to stop and see you first," Mia told Lucas as they walked over.

"Who are you"? Sawyer asked the elderly couple turning to face them after Lucas planted his daughter on her feet.

"Just some acquaintances of uncle Nathan's," her uncle told her, which Lucas was ever grateful for without having to improvise.

"Oh," she said. "I'm Sawyer Brooke Scott—my grandma Karen had to use a walking stick before she died. Are you dying"?

"Karen—" Royal said looking up, confused. "She passed"?

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, been almost a of couple years now," he told him.

"Sawyer, you're going to be late for school," Mia told her.

"Okay," Sawyer said before turning to her dad as she took the necklace she had around her neck on. "This is for you and Auntie Lily, grandma Karen gave it to me. Great-uncle Keith gave it to her, I believe grandma Karen's exact words were bow chicka bow wowed, he gave it to her after they did whatever that was for the first time".

Lucas couldn't help but laugh.

"Grandma said she wore it because it helped her stay strong without him for Lily, so now he needs it—to stay strong without her for Lily," Sawyer said as she placed the necklace in her father's open palm. "I love you, daddy".

"I love you, baby," Lucas said, running his fingers through her blonde curly hair.

"Don't worry so much—you'll get wrinkles" Sawyer told him. "Uncle Keith will be fine".

"What makes you so sure"?

"Because he is a Scott" Sawyer told him. "And he made it this far, didn't he"?

"Where did you get to be so smart"? Nathan asked leaning down looking at his niece.

"Grandma Karen," she said smiling. "She homeschooled me, and she was the best teacher".

Sawyer wrapped one of her small arms around her uncle and another around her father—squeezing them tightly.

"I love you both," she said smiling.

Mia took Sawyer by the hand and they walked away.

"Are you sure she is your kid"? Nathan asked Lucas as they stood up.

"I have no idea—Peyton has always been a little extra dark and I have Dan's heart—I don't know where the hell she got to be so cheery," Lucas said placing his hands on his hips.

"We are sorry to hear about Karen" May intruded, sincerely. "Truly".

"Thank you".

"What—if you don't mind me asking what happened to her"? Royal asked, looking down.

"She was sick," Lucas told them. "For a while, and then one day she wasn't," he said. And that's all he would ever tell them. "Let's go, they will be to take him up to prep soon".

---

"This place is so depressing," Brooke said as she sat between Peyton and Haley. "And the lighting is horrible, I bet even filters wouldn't help if I took a selfie right now. They really should consider redecorating".

Peyton was certain if her eyes rolled any further to the back of her head, they would be stuck like that. Or it was simply an old wives tale that her mother used to tell her when she was a child.

"Brooke, it's the foster care system," Haley said, shaking her head. "I don't think really care if they have some bad lighting".

"Mediocre fluorescent lighting—at best," Brooke said. "And that is the same picture they had hanging on the wall when Sam and I had to come to do our check-ins".

"Brooke, that's a poster for a helpline," Peyton told her.

"Oh," she said looking at it once more. "They don't at least update those things? Don't even get me started on these chairs".

"Okay" Haley interrupted her before she could carry on.

"Brooke Davis".

The three looked up to see a woman standing in the doorway with a small clipboard in her hand. Haley, Brooke, and Peyton each stood up and proceeded to follow her.

They walked from one long horribly lit hallway to another, Brooke wasn't sure how long they would walk and didn't know if it would ever end—until she saw Madison who sat in a chair outside of an office awkwardly swinging her legs as she waited.

"Oh, my god—Maddie," Brooke said, pushing past the woman in front of her.

"Brooke," Madison said, jumping up with small tears in her eyes at the sight of the three women in front of her.

Brooke tightly wrapped her arms around the teenager.

"Miss, we have to ask that you not touch the child" the woman that had led them said as she walked behind the two that were still embraced.

"Oh, bite me, Jennifer," Brooke said, rolling her eyes.

"I didn't even introduce myself," Jennifer said, but mostly to herself. "How did you know my name"?

Madison couldn't help but chuckle.

"You just look like a Jennifer that's all," Brooke told her smiling as she leaned away from Madison but still held her hand tightly. "Is this your office"?

"Yes, but I'm afraid there isn't enough room for all of us—and this is a closed-door meeting".

"We will make due".

Brooke walked in with Madison followed by Peyton and Haley, lastly Jennifer. She shut the door and squeezed by each one of the girls as she made the way to her office before tripping and falling, but landed perfectly in her seat.

"Very well," Karen said. "Okay, let's begin we—".

"These are my files from when I had a foster daughter back years ago and from when I had momentary custody of Angie," Brooke said laying the files in front of Karen, ultimately and purposefully cutting her off. "I have good recommendations, I have a house—she would have her very own room, and she could continue living where she has her entire life and finish school where she has always attended".

"I didn't know you had ever fostered children before," Jennifer said, looking at Brooke. "Either way if you're wanting to be a foster mother once again, I'm afraid you don't just get to come in and pick the child you want. She was kidnapped—we have to have her removed from the state for her own protection".

"Who? Lauren"? Peyton asked. "My daughter's hamster is more threatening".

"You're calling it a kidnapping and we have lawyers on that right now," Haley told Jennifer. "She was left, Lauren did what she thought was best to protect her. She is in no danger here".

"So, you say".

"So, I say," Madison said. "I wasn't kidnapped. I lived with Lauren, I went to school—she raised me. If I had been in danger don't you think I would have told someone, a teacher—like to help me? No! She would never hurt me".

Jennifer slowly opened the files that Brooke had handed her and glanced through a few papers before turning to her computer, and typing. The room stayed quiet—for some time.

"I'm prepared to offer the foster care system, the state—whoever it is, a nice profit if you can assure that this girl will be put into my care," Brooke told Jennifer.

The four girls that were squished on the opposite side of the room watched Jennifer, it was clear she knew who Brooke was—her comment about being unaware that she ever had foster children gave that away. So, she knew that they wouldn't simply offer her a couple of hundred dollars, it would be something extravagant.

Which she was sure her bosses would be grateful for, she might even get a bigger office. Or they could fire her for accepting the money.

"Are you aware that your licenses to be a foster parent has expired"? Jennifer asked Brooke. "You would need to renew that—".

"Done," Brooke said.

"The most I can guarantee you right now is that she can stay with you until it's time to move her to—".

"That's not good enough for me," Brooke said leaning forward resting her arms on the desk, looking Jennifer directly in the eyes. "This is how much I'm willing to donate, today—in cash".

Brooke wrote a number down on a post-it and handed it to the woman—whose mouth undeniably dropped.

"I'll have to go get my superior".

---

Lucas stepped out into the waiting room and he looked around, he saw his brother who was picking at a string on his jeans. Across the room he saw his sister, Lily, sitting between Andre and Deb, and then Keith's parents were in the corner by themselves. The waiting room was full but he was sure there would be more by the end of the afternoon.

"They just—they just took him back" Lucas announced, his voice low but just high enough for everyone to hear him.

Nathan watched as his brother walked over and sat next to him.

No one spoke. It was quite—for seventy-three minutes, everyone was silent. There were occasional glances and awkward stares, but for the most part, no one spoke.

"So—erm," Royal said, not really known for being an awkward man, but found this particular conversation difficult to start. "Lily," he said, as May squeezed his hand. "Do you know what you want to do when you graduate"?

It was clear that his wife was the one who was curious, by the way, she looked over at Keith's daughter.

"Not yet," Lily told them. "I have spent my whole life traveling, so I want to stay in one place. I'd like to own my business like both my parents, be my own boss—just don't know what that is yet".

"You'll figure it out".

Jamie stepped around the corner carrying a drink carrier, filled with to-go cups.

"Easy for you to say," Lily told Jamie. "You have known what you have wanted to do since you were in the womb".

Jamie gave her a half-smile.

"I didn't know you were coming," Nathan told his son.

"I'm not staying—just brought this for you all".

Nathan wouldn't say it out loud, at least not here, but he admired his son for that. He looked as though he might crumble at any minute, but he cared enough to get out of bed for his family.

"Jamie this is Royal and May," Nathan said nodding to the older couple in the corner. "They are your great-grandparents".

"This is—this is little Jamie"? May asked, smiling at him.

"Yeah," Nathan told them nodding. "You miss a lot when you don't call or write or anything, turned sixteen at the beginning of the summer," he told her bitterly.

"Don't talk to her that way" Royal demanded. "You always were such a disrespectful little prick seems like things haven't changed".

"Go to hell, grandpa".

"You—" Jamie said before the argument could escalate. "You're grandpa Dan's parents"?

The room went quiet, maybe it was the wrong thing to say, but Jamie didn't seem to care.

"Yes" May said, nodding, slowly—unsure why she answered in the first place. It was painfully obvious that he was her son, no matter how badly her husband tried to deny it.

"Grandpa was amazing," he told them. "I mean obviously he had his faults but he saved my life, more than once. My next tattoo is going to be for him I—".

"You're not getting another tattoo"! Nathan interjected.

"No, you said not to go behind your back and get one you never said I couldn't get one" Jamie told his father.

"Okay, allow me to refresh—no more tattoos, period until you're eighteen. Does that clear things up"? Nathan asked folding his arms.

"Not even one for grandpa"?

"Nope".

"But, it's my body and it's my hard-earned money".

Nathan froze before he said, "Luke—fire him".

Lucas, however, had turned away from Nathan and was looking down at the seat next to him. "Don't drag me into this".

"Seriously"? Nathan asked. "My son is one tattoo away from looking like that rapper that doesn't wash his hair and you won't fire him"?

"I'm nowhere close to that many tattoos," Jamie said. "You're being dramatic".

"And I can't fire him," Lucas said. "He is only sixteen and the best damn mechanic at Keith's auto shop, I couldn't afford to lose him. Everyone that brings their car in brings it to him when he graduates and goes to Duke I'm screwed".

Lucas dreaded looked over at his brother who was, undoubted, staring a hole through him.

"I'm sorry" Lucas mouthed. "It'd be like you asking me to kick him off the team".

"You play basketball"? Royal asked.

"And here we go," Deb said folding her arms and felt her head hit the back of the wall that her chair was pushed up against.

"She is right," May told her husband. "Can we not discuss sports right now"?

"I'm just trying to get to know my grandchildren".

"I seem to recall you only asking Lily one question" May snapped. "And our son is in surgery! Do we really need to talk about basketball, right now"?

"Keith is going to be in surgery for hours, it's just harmless chit chat, May"!

"Nothing is ever harmless with you".

Royal looked up to find Jamie passing out the to-go cups he had bought.

"I didn't know you were here," Jamie told them. "I would have got you something, too".

"Thank you," May said. "We are fine".

"Right," Royal said ignoring his wife. "How is your game"?

"Does this have liquor in it"? Deb whispered to her grandson as she pointed at her drink.

Jamie shook his head but smiled lightly.

"I hope you're not taking Speed as your dad did," Royal said.

Jamie snapped his head up and looked over at his dad as he sat next to Deb, sure there was a mistake in the man's words.

"You took speed"? Jamie asked looking at Nathan.

The teenager's father closed his eyes tightly pinching the bridge of his nose, Jamie couldn't tell if it was out of embarrassment or aggravation, it could have been both if he was being honest.

"Can we not go down this road right now"? Deb asked though it felt more like a threat.

"Before you ask him again here," Nathan said. "He doesn't take Speed, he beat mine and Dan's highest scores in his freshman year, and he averages about twenty-seven points per game which is pretty damn impressive considering the season hasn't started—that was last year when he was a freshman and only allowed to play not even half of the game. He wasn't even in the starting lineup".

"He will be this year, though," Lucas said. "I'm not going to make the same mistake his coach last year did," he said, teasing his brother.

"You're the coach"? Royal asked, alarmingly shocked by the news.

"Yeah," Lucas said, nodding.

"He coaches the boy's team and I coach the girls," Nathan told him. "Lily is on the team—she is pretty damn good, too".

"You play basketball"? Royal asked, looking at Lily who nodded in response. "Humph. I would have assumed you were a cheerleader".

The room went quiet at his response.

Briefly.

"You're a dick," Lily said, to which her brother smiled.

"Excuse me"?

"I'm sorry" Lily said laying her hand across her chest. "I forgot that when you fart dust comes out, you're a dick. A inconsiderate, arrogant, uncaring, selfish, bastard—in case you needed help understanding the term seeing as you look as though you have lived under a rock for several centuries. My father—mine! He is in surgery and you want to sit here and grill everyone about basketball, a damn sport. A week ago you didn't know your son was alive now you want to sit there and talk about basketball, which is fine, I get that. It's an awkward situation so we all make dreadful small talk to try and help pass the hours while they have my father's skull cracked open and are cutting and probing into his brain—an organ he does need to live, but you sit there and claim you want to get to know your grandchildren but the first ounce of information about me and you become this sexist pig. Just because I have breasts and a vagina doesn't mean I am going to throw Pom poms in the air—Jamie's girlfriend plays basketball and she could play circles around half of the guy's team! If you are going to sit here why don't you shut the hole in your face and if you can't then leave, and if you don't I'm his daughter and I can request for the hospital to forcibly remove you from the premises".

The waiting room went quite, the nurses and staff behind the counter included. Lily sat back, her face red and throat scratchy from the amount of use her voice just endured.

"Excuse me" Lily said before standing to her feet, and storming away with Andre in tow.

Royal, speechless, looked at Nathan and Lucas—who were both smiling though they each were trying not to. Unsuccessfully.

Lucas shrugged "Damn teenagers".

---

If you knew how lonely my life has been
And how long I've been so alone
And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along
And change my life the way you've done

---

Lily pushed through the front doors of the hospital and stormed out, taking in all the fresh air she could get. She thought she was alone, as she stood outside of the hospital standing with her hands on her hips as she looked out into the parking lot—in an attempt to compose herself.

But, she wasn't.

"Are you okay"? Andre asked as he slowly walked up behind her.

Lily quickly wiped the tears off of her face, unaware that he had already seen them—that he had been behind her the entire time.

"Yeah" she lied. "I just need a minute".

"I'll step back inside, I'm so sorry—".

Lily grabbed his arm and shook her head "I need a minute before I go back in there" she said looking up at him. "I felt like I was going to lose it".

"Don't take this the wrong way—you kind of did?" Andre told her.

Lily rested her forehead against his chest and chuckled lightly before standing back up straight. "I did, didn't I"? She asked though she didn't need to, she was there. She remembered. "It's just—that man, that horrible, horrible man. I don't understand how he can compartmentalize like that. He thought his son was dead, and a few days later he is sitting in the waiting room while his son—my father, is in surgery! Surgery! He could die, and I mean he probably already done his mourning but no one else gets an opportunity like this. His child was basically brought back from the dead, except that he didn't die, but we have been given a chance at a second chance with my dad and he is in there talking about damn basketball! Now, I know where Dan got it from—and Jamie, in there talking about Dan"!

"You need to breathe".

"I know that is his grandfather and he looked up to him, but either way if he killed my dad or not he still robbed me of sixteen years I could have been spending with him"! Lily nearly screamed.

"I'm sure Jamie meant nothing by it," Andre told her. "He would never intentionally try to hurt you".

"I know," Lily said as her head fell into the palms of her hands. "I just—I don't know what's wrong with me".

"What's wrong with you is your dad, who you thought was dead, isn't dead but he could still die," Andre told her. "I don't personally know anyone who can relate to what you're going through. You have every right to be pissed, and angry—at everyone. Especially Keith's old fart of a dad".

For the first time Lily looked up at him, and she felt a small tear fall down her cheek.

"I just want to meet him," Lily told Andre. "I have wished for this my entire life, and now—I just want him to be okay".

Andre wrapped his arms around Lily and held her tightly.

The two stood there like that for a few minutes, though it could have been mistaken for hours before they heard the hospital door open and turned to see Jamie step out.

"Hey," Lily said leaning out of Andre's embrace.

"Hey," Jamie said, his voice still low. "I'm going to head back to the house. I hope your dad is okay".

"Thanks for coming," Lily told him, swallowing her anger with him—knowing good and well she didn't have any reason in the world to be angry with him. "It means a lot—especially knowing you probably didn't want to leave the house today".

"You're right," Jamie said. "I didn't, but you're my best friend and if it was my dad you would be there for me".

"Thank you".

Jamie leaned over and hugged Lily, it was meant to be a soft hug of comfort that she could have used but instead, the two stood still for a minute. It instead became a hug of comfort for him, as he felt her squeeze him tightly.

"She is going to come back" Lily whispered in his ear. "Your love story isn't supposed to end like this".

Lily felt a small drop of water hit her bare shoulder and knew it was a tear that had fallen from his eye.

Jamie leaned away, brushing his forearm across his face to efficiently dry his eyes.

"Go home and get some rest," Andre said clapping his long-time best friend on the back. "We will text you when we hear something and if you hear something on Madison, you text us".

"I will" Jamie promised, but looked at Lily who had been freight over her best friend. "I promise," he told Lily holding her hand against his chest.

Jamie slowly walked away towards his vehicle and the two watched as he jumped in and drove away.

"I used to imagine what it would be like to have a friend," Lily told Andre as she walked over and sat down on the bench. "Then I moved here, for the first time in my life I had a friend. Growing up I was surrounded by people—my mom, my brother, my sister-in-law, but then I got to meet Madison. She would have been here with me. She would have skipped school and sat next to me, she was my first real friend".

"Is" Andre corrected Lily as he sat next to her. "She isn't dead, she is your friend. I have known Madison since grade school and you're right, she would have been here with you—".

"And she will be," Brooke Davis said as she approached the two with Haley and Peyton standing behind her. "She is at my house right now, showering but she will be here later".

"Does that mean you got custody of her"? Lily asked jumping to her feet.

"Sort of," Peyton said. "At least for a week or two, given the extreme circumstances they will have to appeal to a court".

"But, I'm going to testify as to her school teacher and employer," Haley told them. "I'm sure Nathan will, too since he is her basketball coach. I have talked to the principal, who of course is going to testify for Maddie".

"And Brooke," Peyton said. "I'm going in for Brooke, I'm sure Lucas will as well. I talked to Jake and he said he would of course".

"Is Jake the new boyfriend"? Lily asked, smiling.

"He is not my boyfriend," Peyton said, running her fingers through her hair but couldn't stop smiling.

"How is your dad"? Haley asked walking up placing a hand on each side of Lily's arms. "Any word"?

"Not yet," Lily said, her head dropping. "Although, his parents—his dad, in particular, is a real treat. Who invited him here"?

"Wait—Royal is here"? Peyton asked, arching an eyebrow. "Why"?

"That's a good question," Deb said as she walked out in a huff, her arms crossed over her body. "Someone tell me that Dan got his heart from that man because I think I can induce a heart attack".

"It is genetic," Haley said shrugging.

"Has he ever let up"? Lily asked.

"After proceeding to call you an ungrateful Brat, no" Deb answered. "Now, he and Lucas shared words, then he and Nathan shared words, then he and May argued, and then me and May argued, and then Nathan—" Deb paused. She ran palms down her face as if she could release the stress and tension that way. "It's a typical Scott family reunion," she told them.

"This is typical"? Lily asked.

"Yes," Deb, Haley, and Peyton all said in unison.

"Do they have to be here"? Lily asked, yet another question.

"Well, Keith is their son—it's not like we can just kick them out," Haley told Lily.

"But, hypothetically let's say we could—how would we go about doing that"? Lily asked looking at Haley.

"Has there been any news on Keith"? Brooke asked, interrupting, knowing that this could go on forever if no one did.

"A nurse walked out as I left," Deb said. "If he was out of surgery it would have been the doctor, it's probably just an update but let's go".

---

Jamie slowly drove through Tree Hill, he felt the cool breeze upon his face through his open window. It was the most oxygen he had felt in days.

He felt lost. He knew where he was, and he knew how to get home but he felt lost. It was his soul that was lost. Jamie felt like a drifter, without her, without his girl. Without Maddie.

He did what everyone said, he tried to focus on the positive. She was in North Carolina, somewhere. She was safe, but she wasn't there. She wasn't with him.

Jamie caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror, and he almost didn't recognize himself, if it wasn't for the blonde hair and blue eyes he wouldn't have. Jamie's complexion was drained, his eyes were swollen, and it wasn't until today that he realized that he could grow a beard—the scruff around his face was a large indication of how he had forgotten to take care of himself.

The teen slowly merged his car into his parent's driveway but slammed hard on the brakes at the sight of his girlfriend's car that sat across the road.

Jamie jumped out of his car, unsure if he parked it or even shut the Engine off. But, he didn't care. Not in the least. He ran towards Brooke's new house and burst through the door, he ran up the stairs and searched from one room to another.

After searching the house high to low, he stepped out of the house feeling hopeless. He came to the conclusion that perhaps Brooke brought the car there for safekeeping, maybe she didn't want to risk it getting stolen or vandalized sitting in front of the café where it had been for days.

But, that moment quickly vanished when he looked up.

There she was, across the street walking from his parent's house—as though she had done the same thing he had.

Jamie rushed to her and she rushed to him, each meeting in the middle of the road. He didn't hesitate before pulling her into him and pressing his lips firmly against hers.

Madison smiled as her boyfriend pressed his forehead against hers.

"Hi," she said, softly.

"Hi".

"How are you"?

"Better now" he told her. "And you"?

"Better now".

---

"Any news"? Peyton asked as the group stepped into the waiting room.

Lucas jumped at the sound of his soon to be ex-wife's voice and jumped even higher at the sight of Brooke.

"Yeah," Nathan said, coming to terms with the fact if they waited on Lucas to answer they would be waiting for a while. "He is doing good, so far. He started to hemorrhage early on, but they said they were able to maintain it but other than that there isn't really any news. They came out to let us know that they got the bleeding under control".

Haley walked over, sat next to her husband and took his hand in hers.

"He is going to be okay," Haley said, closing her eyes. "I know it".

Nathan smiled at his wife and brought her hand up to his lips—kissing it softly.

"Well, since we have a psychic among us, where were you when my son was laying in a hospital for seventeen years"? Royal said, looking over at Haley, as he balanced both hands on his cane.

The room, now filled with more people than it was earlier, fell quiet once again. Haley looked over at Royal, or glared would have been more like it, she and Nathan both were ready to give him a piece of their mind. Everyone was. Brooke included, and she had never met the man—but Lily beat them all to punch.

"Where were you when one of your boys picked a gun up and shot it at the other"? Lily snapped at the man she apparently was related to. "Did you even come to the funeral, or did you grieve from afar? I mean, seriously, which is it? I mean someone had to raise Dan to be such a monster—".

"Now, wait just a minute young lady," Royal said as he stood up balancing himself upon his cane.

"I suggest you tread very lightly Royal," Deb said, stepping forward near the man, in front of Lily.

"Or what? You'll set me on fire—stand by watching me have a heart attack and then sleep with my brother"?

Deb chewed on the corner of her mouth as the room fell silent, and she felt every eye on her.

"First of all—I didn't know that you knew about that, but thank you for informing those who didn't," Deb said sarcastically, as she saw Haley with her mouth hanging wide open—vaguely reminding her of the intervention she once had. "Secondly I slept with Keith and then Dan had his heart attack, not the other way around".

"I don't believe that matters," Nathan said, his face scrunched up in disgust.

"But, lastly my past affairs have nothing to do with this" Deb told Royal, or yelled. "This girl is sixteen, she thought she was an orphan. She has asked you to either leave or shut up, no one else in this entire damn room matters but her! No one. As long as I'm living, you will not speak to her this way and you will not disrespect her".

"Funny" Royal said, lowering his eyes at Deb. "I don't recall you being such a good mother to Nathan".

"Now, wait just a minute Grandpa" Nathan began.

"No," Deb said, cutting him off. "He is right, I was a horrible mother when you were growing up," she told her son. "I admit that, but do any of you honestly think I would have been such a bad mom if he had a vagina instead"?

Lucas looked over at his brother, with both eyebrows arched. Nathan rolled his eyes and pushed his brothers face in the opposite direction with a "shut up" remark before Lucas could make some witty comment.

"If Nathan had been a girl and hadn't had basketball forced down his throat from the time he could walk do you really think things would have been so bad"? Deb snapped. "He hadn't even started crawling when you and Dan mapped his entire future out! No one gave him a choice on what he wanted to do, from the very start it was what you two wanted him to do. He never had the chance to decide if he wanted to play another sport. If he had been a girl and came home in a cheerleading outfit every day there would have been no pressure".

"Stop picturing it" Nathan whispered to his wife, who was fighting a smile—and loosing.

"I think I still have my cheerleading uniform from high school".

Haley didn't see Lucas but she heard him snort on the other side of Nathan. "Not happening".

"He couldn't get it up over one ass cheek," Lucas said as he leaned over Nathan to see Haley.

"As I recall Nathan loves basketball," Royal told Deb. "He did make it to the NBA and his son seems to have the very same affliction. The apple doesn't fall from the tree".

"My apple did," Deb said. "The minute Dan went to prison everything changed, Nathan played basketball out of the love for the game. He quit playing to be better than Dan or to impress him, Nathan doesn't bully Jamie into being faster and better—why do you think he chose to coach the girl's team? So, that he can distance himself and let his son stand on his own two feet. I am proud of the man my son turned out to be—and it's not because me or Dan, it's because of that girl sitting next to him that he married all those years ago. At the end of the day basketball, it's just a game. Nathan learned that the hard way—he chose to walk away from basketball for his family. If it meant he got to run around the back yard with his kids just a few extra steps, he is a better man than you will ever be and twice the father you could ever dream of being".

Deb has enough of the old man when she still wore the ring Dan gave her, but now it was different. She stepped in front of Royal so that the two were face to face.

"All this started with you," Deb told Royal. "You pushed and pushed Dan until there was nothing left to push. He pushed my son until he almost broke him—he drove me to the brink of insanity where there was nothing but drugs to save me, he shot his brother, and he was a bully to my son" Deb paused running her fingers through her hair. "I think it's time you leave Royal," Deb told him firmly. "Now".

"I—".

"Royal" May said standing behind her husband. "I believe she is right, let's go".

Royal hesitated but looked around to find that he was many outnumbered by those that didn't want him to be there.

"Will you call us—me, if you hear anything"? May asked Deb who nodded. "Thank you".

The two left, slowly.

"Oh, my god" Lily said smiling as she walked to the blonde. "Deb is a badass".

Lily wrapped her arms around Deb and received a hug back.

"Seriously, where did you learn to be so—bad assey—is that a word"? Lily asked combining two words into one.

"I was married to a conniving narcissist," Deb said squinting one eye shut at the memories.

"Mom," Nathan said, looking up at the woman that birthed him over thirty years ago. "Thank you".

Deb smiled at him. "You're welcome".

---

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

---

Madison felt Jamie slam her against his bedroom door— effectively shutting it, as they were still unable to tear their lips from one another. In any other instance, she was sure it would have hurt, but she couldn't seem to feel anything but the heat radiating through her hands that she had placed on the back of Jamie's head, running her fingers through his hair.

Madison moaned lightly in protest when Jamie broke away from their kiss, but felt another moan escape from her lips when he started kissing and sucking down the column of her neck. He gently bent down, scooping his girlfriend up, as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist—as he continued to kiss further down her neck.

Jamie stopped kissing down her neck, as he slowly sat his girlfriend back down on her feet—but kept his body pressed to hers as he still had her pinned to the door.

"Are—are you still sure"? Jamie asked, looking down at Madison as he rested his hand a couple of inches below her waist. "I want you to be sure," he said, his voice shaky.

Madison smiled as she leaned up on to her tiptoes "I am sure" she told him placing a hand on each side of his neck. "No matter what happens, I want you to always be my first".

Jamie didn't have time to respond or even fully comprehend her words before she pulled him back down and kissed him. He couldn't if he wanted to, all he could think about was her.

Jamie reached down and tugged Madison's shirt up over her head and tossed it, not in any general direction just off. Away. Gone.

It all began to happen so fast, Madison wasn't sure when they discarded all of their clothes, or when they made it to his bed, or whose idea it was to crawl under the covers but they had. All she knew was it was perfect—he was perfect. Everything was perfect.

Jamie ran his hands up Madison's arms and interlaced his fingers in hers above her head as he continued to kiss on her and take in every piece of her beauty. He remembered his fears, his anxieties about this—this very act that the two were engaged in.

At first Jamie told himself if he could just be intimate with her for five minutes, then he ten minutes, and then fifteen—seventeen minutes and twenty seven seconds later, Jamie—covered in sweat and unable to fully breathe, and quite proud of himself though he wouldn't admit that in this precise moment, rolled off of Madison and lay next to her.

Neither spoke, as they both attempted to stabilize their breathing.

"Wow".

"Wow".

---

Nathan turned the corner to find his brother filling his small coffee cup with the dreadful black liquid the hospital supplied. Lucas looked up at Nathan silently offering him a cup, which he accepted though after the first drink he wasn't sure why.

"How much longer do you think it will be"? Lucas asked Nathan as the two made their way over to one of the round tables inside the cafeteria.

"They are working on the inside of Keith's brain, Luke. I say the longer it takes to hear something the better" Nathan told his brother. "No news is good news".

"You really have to stop watching Dr. Phil so much," Lucas told his brother. "I have seen your DVR, dude. I know Haley isn't recording that".

"I wonder if we wrote him a letter about our life if we could get on an episode".

Lucas rolled his eyes. "That's just what we need, to publicize our life more so than it already is," he said.

"This coming from the man who wrote a book about said life".

"Hey, boys," Brooke said, smiling as she passed them.

Lucas immediately froze as he watched Brooke pour three cups of coffee before swiftly leaving the cafeteria.

"You're worse than my teenager" Nathan commented. "Do you realize that you didn't breathe the entire time she was in here? You're a mess—is it over her or is it over Keith"?

"Does it make me pathetic if I say a little bit both"?

"No," Nathan told him. "It makes you pathetic when you awkwardly stare at her like a lost puppy dog begging for food—FYI Brooke Davis, is not scraps. She is a five-star restaurant".

"What am I going to do, Nate"?

"Well, the way I see it you have two options," Nathan told him. "You could go and tell her or you could try and date and see if you can't shake this feeling".

"You don't think I am still in love with her"?

"I never said that. But, you're marriage was going through a rough patch, you both wanted out you might have channeled your feelings on to Brooke—it might be nothing. Or it might be everything".

"Seriously, no more Dr. Phil".

"Either way—just in case you go on a date or end up at Brooke's here".

Nathan pulled his wallet out and flipped it open, before pulling a collection of condoms out.

"Here is three—just in case," Nathan said ripping apart half and handing them to Lucas.

"I am going to regret asking you this, but exactly how many condoms do you have in your wallet"? He asked as he saw Nathan stuff the remaining bunch back inside.

"Enough" Nathan told him. "I had an awkward run-in with Jamie one night and ever since I make sure I have some on me at all times. I put new ones in there every couple of days—I just put these in here this morning so there is quite a bit more than there normally is".

"This would have been okay back in high school," Lucas said as he looked at the condoms in his hand "but now it's just pathetic".

"Much like your life"?

Good point.

Lucas stuffed the condoms in his wallet, with no intent on using them but he wasn't going to have an argument about condoms with his brother in the hospital cafeteria. On any good day, let alone today.

---

A window breaks, down a long, dark street

And a siren wails in the night
But I'm alright, 'cause I have you here with me
And I can almost see, through the dark there is light

---

Peyton looked up to see Jake walking down the hallway, he wasn't exactly smiling but he sure did look happy to see her. She quickly excused herself from the group of her girls she had been sitting with before rushing down the hall—out of everyone's sight.

"I thought I might find you here," Jake told her as she met up with him by the vending machine. "I wanted to check and see how things were going".

"And you couldn't text"? Peyton teased him smiling. "Or call"?

"Okay, Fine—I wanted to see you. Is that so bad"? Jake told her, grinning. "I feel like it's bad, at least right now".

"It's not bad," Peyton told him. "If it is then I'm just as bad" she admitted to him. "Part of me didn't want to come, I thought because of Lucas maybe I shouldn't—".

"But, Haley told you how stupid that was and you came" Jake guessed, correctly.

"It is Sawyer's great uncle after all, and I know things didn't work out with Luke but—".

"He has been a part of your life for over half of your life," Jake told her. "It's good that you're here".

"You should have got here sooner, you missed the drama".

Jake smiled. "The Scotts and drama? No way, how shocking" he said. "How would you like to tell me about it—say over dinner, this weekend"?

"Well, I'll have to check my calendar—but I'm sure I could schedule you in—or," Peyton said interlacing their fingers. "You could come over tonight".

"Come over"?

"Yeah, Sawyer wanted to stay with Luke so I will have the place to myself," Peyton said. "I could cook—".

"You could cook"?

"Fine I can order take out and we could catch up," she told him. "If you wanted to".

"Don't you live with Brooke"?

"I did," Peyton said, nodding. "But, she got her own place".

"Isn't your place her place"?

"Yes, but she gave it to me," Peyton told him. "Okay, so her husband—you never met him, Julian he died in their house. When we all first got back we stayed with Nathan and Haley, but when her house was ready to be moved back into she couldn't move in. Not physically or anything, more like psychologically—but we all couldn't keep staying with Nathan and Haley, there was eleven of us living there—their house is big but not that big. No one ever had any privacy. So, we moved into her old house—the house she bought when she first moved back to Tree Hill after she lived in New York. Julian lived there, too—but there wasn't this horrible memory of him lingering around. It was more of a temporary house though until she found another one. Well, she found another one but was waiting on the deal to go through, it finally did after some bribery—she wanted to escalate it so that she could get custody of Madison, long story short she no longer needs her two-bedroom house".

"I'm so confused by that long story short statement you just threw out there".

"She gave me her house," Peyton told him.

"I don't have friends who give me houses".

"I'll introduce you to mine," Peyton told him smiling. "I offered her money, but she wouldn't take it".

"Your place, then"? He asked. "Tonight"?

Peyton nodded. But, she looked up to see Lucas standing in the corner holding a cup of coffee tightly in his hands.

"Excuse me," she told Jake before rushing over to Lucas. "Hey," she said, softly. "I—".

"Don't?" he told Peyton. "I'm happy for you," he said. "You and Jake make more sense than you and I ever did".

"Luke".

"I mean it—I'm thankful for the years we had, for Sawyer, but don't apologize. You did nothing wrong, you deserve happiness, Peyton. You deserve greatness, and I couldn't give it to you".

"Because your heart was somewhere else"? She asked leaning against the wall next to him.

"For the most part".

"So, why haven't you told her"?

Lucas shrugged, but then looked at Peyton "is this weird"? He asked. "Us standing here talking about new relationships when our divorce isn't even finalized"?

"You would think, but I believe this is the most normal we have felt in years".

---

Madison lay in her boyfriend's bed—naked, still tucked under the covers, in what she thought was a state of complete and total bliss. She twirled her dark curl around her finger as she looked upon the ceiling above her boyfriend's bed—noticing the one star he must have forgotten to remove years ago.

She looked at it, smiling, putting all her focus on that one tiny start that Nathan and Haley bought for their son to help him with his fear of the dark when he was a child. It wasn't until she felt Jamie move that she was able to remove her focus from the glowing shape above her head.

She watched, still smiling as Jamie slid his underwear back on and over his hips before kicking the covers off of his body.

Madison sat up, with the covers still wrapped tightly around her body before sliding her hands around Jamie laying them across his chest and planting small kisses on the back of his neck.

"I love you—do you know that"? Madison whispered.

But, instead of repeating it Madison felt Jamie's entire body stiffen up and he stood up—leaving her alone in the bed.

"What's wrong"? Madison asked, insecurely, clutching the blanket to her body by the complete change in her boyfriend's behavior.

"Nothing".

Jamie didn't look at her as he searched the room for his jeans, but she watched him.

"Jamie".

"What"? He asked looking at her, angrily, tossing his hands to his side—frustrated.

"What did I do"? She asked. "Did—did you not—" she stuttered as she picked at the area beneath her nail, before finally just spitting the question out. "Did you not enjoy it"?

He scoffed. "Of course I enjoyed it, Madison". Jamie shook his head as he picked his jeans up off the floor and stepped into them.

"Then why are you so mad"? She asked. "Was I not good or something—"?

"Even if you weren't which you were—how would I know"? Jamie said bitterly as fastened his jeans. "Not everything is about sex".

"Jamie I don't—".

"No matter what happens I want you to always be my first" Jamie cut her off. "That's what you said before we—before," he told her leaning his back against his dresser. "What in the hell does that mean"?

"Maybe we should have talked first".

"Maybe we should have—so talk".

Madison was one hundred percent certain she had never seen her boyfriend so angry before.

"I'm staying with Brooke".

"But"? He asked through his teeth.

"I might not get to stay, here in Tree Hill, permanently" she admitted. "They switched my temporary home to Brooke, for now. But, that's the most they can do, I have to go to this court in a week or so, it hasn't been set yet but—".

"You could still leave"?

Madison didn't need to verbally answer him, he already knew. It had quickly become the elephant in the room.

"I just—".

"You just what"? Jamie yelled. "You thought I'll make sure I lose my virginity to this blonde moron so I don't have to lose it to some Pauly D look-alike in New Jersey".

Madison felt tears swell up in her eyes as her boyfriend ran his hand over his mouth.

"I know you fantasized about this a thousand times," Jamie told Madison. "You pictured this romantic and perfect Nicholas Sparks moment, I didn't. But, I did think about it, Maddie. Not in the way that you did but I did think about it. I thought about kissing you and touching you and being with you, and I didn't just think about it to get my damn rocks off"! He screamed, his voice bouncing off the four walls inside his bedroom. "But, when I thought about it I thought about in terms of forever, I didn't just want to be your first Maddie. I wanted to be your only, and I wanted you to be mine" Jamie said his voice breaking.

"I want that, too"!

"Do you"? He asked. "Because it sounds like to me if you leave you already made a decision about us—no matter what happens I want you to always be my first" he repeated once again. "It sounds like if you do leave you have already made a decision about us. Is that what you want, to break up"?

"No"! Madison shouted. "How could you even think that"?

"Give me a reason not to—you're the one that said it, not me," Jamie said. "All I could think about was being with you, and all you seemed to be thinking about is making sure I was your first".

"Jamie, you're taking this the wrong way I just—I didn't mean it that way".

"Then tell me how you meant it".

Madison looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot, and her face covered in tears. She was certain she could feel her insides shake, and she shook her head. She knew she had said it, but she couldn't seem to remember why in this precise moment.

"I don't know," Madison said. "I just know that I didn't mean it like that. I love you"!

"Do you? You're already thinking about us breaking up" Jamie told her.

"No"!

"Madison, just stop—I heard it come out of your mouth. I didn't say it, you did! So, if you didn't mean it that way if you do move away what happens to us? What do you think will happen"?

She ran her fingers through her hair and pressed her forehead to her knees. "Jamie, just stop" she pleaded. "You're scaring me".

"What's scaring you"? He asked folding his arms. "All this talk about breaking up?! Imagine how I feel—".

"What are you saying"? Madison asked looking up at him. "Are you—are you breaking up with me"?

Jamie paused.

"Yeah" he said slowly. "I guess I am".

Madison said. "This is not the way this was supposed to go".

"Now, that I can agree with".

---

Well, if you knew how much this moment means to me
And how long I've waited for your touch
And if you knew how happy you are making me
I never thought that I'd love anyone so much

---

Haley ran to Peyton's side taking her by the arm and dragging her down the long hallway, to her friend's dismay as she still had half of a donut in her mouth.

Haley removed the donut tossing it into the garbage and earned a look of death from Peyton.

"I was eating that," Peyton said. "Actually, I was sitting and eating that, what is this about"?

"I saw Jake" Haley told her.

"What are we in high school again"?

"Technically I never left" Haley admitted. "I am a teacher there—just tell me what happened".

"We are in a hospital, nothing".

Haley rolled her eyes. "What did he say"?

"That you need to mind your business".

"If you guys get married and have babies—it's only right that you name your firstborn Haley".

"I was eating a donut and now I'm having babies with a man I haven't even been on a first date with"? Peyton asked putting her hands on her hips.

Haley smiled. "Seriously, is it going okay"? She asked, her voice softening.

"Yes" Peyton told her. "He is coming over tonight" she informed her friend.

"Ohh, are you—".

"No," Peyton said quickly, and slightly offended. "I would never sleep with someone on the first date".

"Didn't you sleep with some man in a random country while you were still married"?

Peyton stopped and looked at Haley, who meant it all in good humor with a smile on her face.

"That's beside the point," Peyton said pointing her finger at Haley. "I don't even know for certain if this is a date, it's—order take out and—".

"If you shave your legs it's a date," Brooke said, smiling as she passed the two on her way towards the cafeteria.

"She is right you know," Haley said pointing over her shoulder.

"I know—just don't ever tell her that".

"Okay, I know you said you won't sleep with him because it's only your first date or maybe it's not a date but just in case—because you never know," Haley said cracking her purse open. "Here".

Haley handed Peyton a handful of condoms, smiling.

"Haley James Scott"! Peyton said in a rush to hide them before someone saw. "What the hell are you doing with condoms in your purse"?

"After an uncomfortable encounter with Jamie one night when he went to get a condom out of the bathroom so I always have some in my purse," Haley told her. "So, no one has to leave the bedroom—I just put these in here this morning".

"How convenient," Peyton said. "But, that's not what I meant—why do you have condoms? You can't get pregnant when you're using condoms".

"I didn't tell you, Nathan and I decided no more babies" Haley told him. "I got my boy and I got my girl, I got a good life. I would love to have had a big family but Lydia is almost nine and Jamie will be graduating soon, it just doesn't make sense to have more".

"I want more, one day".

"But, you also only have a ten-year-old" Haley said. "If Jamie graduated and we had a newborn—it would just be too hard. We have enough on our plates as it is".

"That makes sense—I guess thanks for these" Peyton said rolling her eyes as she patted her purse that held the condoms. "That didn't make me feel awkward at all".

---

"Hey, Maddie it's Brooke—if you hear this can you pick up," Brooke said into her phone. "I'm probably one of the only living humans with a house phone left, I didn't know if Jamie gave you your phone back yet or not—or if you have even seen him yet. You said you were going to come to the hospital and I haven't heard from you, it's fine if you're resting or showering or whatever—just try to call me when you can. Bye".

Brooke looked up to see Lucas pouring yet another cup of coffee into his small cup.

"If you that had liquor in it—someone might say you have a problem," Brooke said, earning his attention as she walked over.

Lucas once again jumped at the sound of Brooke's voice and tilted his small cup of hot liquid feeling it scorch his skin through his clothes. "Ow," he helped. "Damn it".

"Oh, my god" Brooke said grabbing a handful of napkins. "Here".

Without hesitation, she took the napkins and began pressing them to Lucas, as though they would absorb the liquid from his clothes. But, the both knew better. It wasn't until Brooke presses one of the white cloths below the waistband that he jumped once more—this time hitting the coffee pot knocking it over, hearing the glass pot shatter against the floor, watching Brooke slip on the liquid that had spilled over the floor and fell backward over the nearest table.

"Oh, my god! Brooke"!

Lucas—forgetting about the coffee that was still spilling out across the floor ran in her direction. But, just as she had done he slipped and fell forward busting his face against the hard floor.

Suddenly the coffee had turned a bright shade of red, it was then that Lucas realized it was blood. His blood.

An hour and a half later Lucas was sitting on an examination room table, with a cast on his nose.

"Knock, Knock".

Brooke slowly opened the door and Lucas nearly passed out at the sight.

"You broke your arm"?

"It's just a sprain," she told him holding her wrist up. "My wrist, it's just a little wrap," she said with a shrug. "You look like the one who has a broken bone".

Lucas nodded. "Broken nose," he said as he hopped down off the table. "I'm sorry about your—wrist".

"Please," she said rolling her eyes. "I have twin boys, this is nothing—but are you sure you're okay"?

Lucas nodded. "Let's go, Keith has been in surgery for over five hours—we should be hearing something soon".

Brooke, watched as Lucas held the door open for her, though unsure she stepped through it. The two walked through the hall side by side, and as they did she didn't take her eyes off of him.

"Alright, that's it," Brooke said. "What's going on with you"?

"What do you mean"?

Lucas looked to his side noticing that Brooke was no longer by his side, but she had come to a stop a few feet behind him. If he were to guess she wouldn't move without some sort of answer, any answer.

"Luke, I have known you for—how long? Eighteen years"? Brooke guessed.

"Something like that" he nodded.

"That's almost two decades—twenty years," Brooke said. "That's a long time, so how do you think that you're going to get by with lying to me"?

"Brooke-".

"I can tell when something's going on—is it because of Peyton and Jake? I know that must be hard to see her move on like that—".

"It's not Peyton," Lucas said, as he sat down in a chair that was placed outside of an empty room in the hallway. "It's not Peyton" he repeated, as though she hadn't heard him the first time.

"Then what is it"? Brooke asked, sitting next to him.

Lucas looked at her, was this the time? Was this the place? Probably not. His uncle was in surgery, his sister hated him, and his whole world was falling apart—he didn't know what to expect but he knew he couldn't suffer another injury because of his nerves around her. And neither could she.

"Brooke, I love you".

Brooke smiled and rubbed him softly on the back "Lucas, I love you too—don't worry you can tell me anything".

Of course, she didn't know what he meant.

"No," Lucas said. "I don't think you understand. I don't just love you Brooke—I'm in love with you. I have been—forever, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. It's why Peyton slept with another man, it's why we agreed to split ways—I'm in love with Brooke".

When Lucas looked up he was prepared to see a fist coming directly at his face, to see Brooke storming away—anything but what he saw.

She sat there, white as a ghost. He wasn't entirely sure if she had heard him or not by the blank expression she had on her face, but if he had to guess he would assume that she heard every word.

Lucas wasn't sure how she was going to respond to the news but he thought he would get a response of some sort. Not this. Not an empty shell of Brooke Davis.

"Luke, Brooke" they heard and looked up to see Haley. "Keith is out of surgery".

They followed Haley to the waiting room where the doctor was walking away from Nathan.

"Well"? Lucas asked as he rushed towards his brother.

"What the hell happened to you"? Nathan asked, unable to process his question by the appearance of his brother.

"I got attacked by a coffee pot—how is Keith"?

"Erm," Nathan said, still unsure by his brother's features and his response but ultimately decided this was more important. "He is out of surgery, alive. They are taking him to recovery right now, the next twenty-four hours are going to be critical but we should know something by this time tomorrow".

"When can we go back to see him"? Lily asked.

"A few hours," Nathan told her. "Right now, it's just a waiting game".

---

It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong

---

A/N and deep breath.

So, Keith has made it out of surgery but his fate is still up in the air. I found it incredibly hard to write Lily this chapter, she is the most energetic and happy character, and when I get to write with her it's always been fun. Because, she will just say anything and do anything, I think that's my favorite thing about riding the teenagers is because I am getting to make this up as I go. And create them. With the adults I have to sit and think what they really say this, would they really do this, how would they react, and etc. but, for Lilly this chapter was hard because she is dealing with a lot emotionally, obviously. So, there was a big shift change and her character. But, there is also a big shift change in her little love triangle.

Moving on with the teenagers, i'm not going to give away a lot on Jamie and Madison. But, I I am sure no one saw that happening that way.

I know! I know! Not a whole lot of Naley, i'm sorry. There was so much going on in this chapter it was hard to really squeeze anything in but I did try to fit in a little something.

Royal has been the only character that is difficult to write that was part of the show, he and his wife were only in one episode and, I think there was only mentioned it once more. Maybe a few times throughout the series but I never really noticed it too much if they were.

I did say Lucas would tell Brooke, I didn't say you would get to see her reaction. You might get to see it next chapter and you might not, but I will say she is definitely not going to react that way you probably want her too.

Speaking of him, there was a comment about the slow burn I promised, it is still going to be a slow burn. And a couple chapters there will be a moment/moments between the two, but if anything it will push them further away. She is definitely going to have a difficult time dealing with the fact that she unknowingly had a role in the dissolution of her friends marriage.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing, I love reading your reviews and I tried to get chapters out as soon as I can.